matter



A. J. MATTER.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE VESSEL.

APPLICATION r1150 001. I6. 1916.

1,321,383. 1 Patented Nov. 11,1919.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 1916. r 1,321,383. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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SUBMARINE SALVAGE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 1916.

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A. 1. MATTER.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT..16. I916.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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A. .I. MATTER.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE VESSEL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. I916.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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Jrzvmzar UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT J. MATTER, OF PORTLAND, OREGONQASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN SALVAGE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUBMARINE SALVAGE VESSEL.

To all whom 2'25 may concern: I I

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. MATTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Hultnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Submarine Salvage Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in submarine salvage vessels and has for its object to provide a vessel of this character, adapted to be lowered by its own propellers, to the ide of the submerged wreck of a steel vessel so that it may attach itself to the hull for the purpose of fastening a number of lifting pontoons.

Another object is to provide absolute safety for the occupants of a vessel of this character, by making it buoyant enough to float on the surface of the water, and providing it with means for lowering it to any desired depth. It is thus adapted to automatically bring the vessel to the surface in the event of an accident to the lowering mechanism.

Still another object is to provide means for propelling a vessel of this kind over the curved or uneven surface of the steel hull.

The novel features constituting my invention are herein set forth and described in detail and are fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my sub marine salvage vessel.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vessel with a section of the side shown broken away to show the interior mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the stern end of the vessel, taken on the line AA, Fig. 2.

Fig. l shows a sectional elevation of the vessel, on the line BB, Fig. 2, looking forward.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation of the drill and its feeding and driving mechanism,

taken on the line CO of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the guid- Specification of Letters Patent. P t t 11, 1

Application filed October 16, 1916.

Serial No. 125,770.

Fig. 8, taken on the line the m-agnet-armand its adjusting mechanism, taken on the line HH, Fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the magnetarm in detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the shell or hull of the vessel, which is provided with a ke'el 2, side guiding planes 3, a rudder 4: and propellers 5, and 6. Theshell 1 is preferably made spherical so as to best withstand the great water pressure in deep-sea work. Access to the interior of the shell is secured through a manhole 7 which is provided with a Water-tight coverS.

As the vessel is designed to carry several operators when submerged, it is apparentone end attached to and connected with the shell, its outer end being attached to an air supply source on a tender-ship afloat on the waters surface. If desired, other means may be employed to furnish fresh air, such for instance as is used on submarines, as the vessel will not be required to remain submerged for more than a. few hours at a time. Tin-pure air may be removed and ventilation secured through a vent-tube 10 which also extends from the vessel 1 to the tender-ship.

Electric light and power are furnished from the tender-ship through a feed-wire 11 which is inserted through the shell of the vessel and electrically connected with motors 12, 13 and 14, a light 15 and the search light 16. For the purpose of regulating the electric circuit it is provided with switches as shown at 17. It is found desirable to con struct the vessel light enough to permit it to float on the waters surface, partly sub-' merged so that in the event of'an accident to the machinery or motive power the vessel will always rise to the surface, thu allowing the occupants to escape. It is obvious now that it is necessary to provide means for lowering the vessel'in the water to the desired depth and this is accomplished by means of lowering propellers 6, which are mounted on shafts 1S rotatively held in bearings 19 having stuffing boxes 20. Spur gears 21 are mounted on the inner ends of the shafts 18 and mesh with each other so that by driving one of them the other is rotated in the opposite direction, thereby obviating any tendency of the propellers to rotate the vessel. Propeller 5 is imilarly mounted on a rotatable shaft 21 carried in a bearing 22 which is provided with. a stuffing box 23.

Motive power for the aforementioned pro pellers 5 and (3 is provided by a motor 14 which drives a shaft 2 1 rotatively carried in bearings and 26. A shaft 27 carried in bearings 28 and 29, is driven by shaft 24: through the medium of bevel gears 30 and 31 mounted respectively on shafts 27 and 24. The shaft 21 carries at its inner end, a friction. plate 32 with which is engaged a friction roller 33, slidably mounted on shaft 27 and guided by means of a roller guide 34: which is also slidably mounted on said shaft 27, and threadedly en 'ages a screw shaft 35 revolubly carried in bearings on brackets 28 and 29 and provided with a hand wheel 36 by means of which the screw shaft may be rotated so as to slide the guide 3% and roller 33 upon shaft 27 to the desired location, thereby regulating the speed of the propellers 5 as required, the friction roller 33 loing locked by means of feather, to the shaft 27, thus forming means for driving the friction plate Similar means are provided for regulating the speed of the propellers (3, and comprise a friction roller 38 and guide 39 slidably mounted upon a drive shaft 40 revolubly carried in bearings 4.1 and s2 and driven through the medium of a vertical shaft 4 3 and bevel gears d4: by the aforementioned motor 14-. The guide is threadedly mounted upon a screw shaft 45 carried in )earing brackets ol-1 and 42 and connected by means of bevel gears 46 with a vertical shaft 47 which is revolubly mounted in bearings 48 and provided with a hand wneel e9 by means of wl ich the speed of propellers 6 may be regulated, the gear 21 serving as a friction plate in connection with friction roller 38 with which it engages. It is obvious that any form of driving or speed regulating mechanism may be employed for driving propellers 5 and 6 but it is essential that they be regulated independently of each other. i

The rudder a is controlled by ineans of a hand wheel 50 carried upon a shaft revolubly mounted in bearings 52 and pro vided with a stufling box at 53. The shaft 51 carries a worm which engages a worm wheel carried by the pivot shaft of rudder thus permitting of rotation of the rudder upon its bearings by means of the hand-wheel 50 whereby the forward course of the vessel is determined.

Two guide planes 3 are mounted, one at each side, upon shafts 56 revolubly carried in bearin 57 which are provided with stufiing boxes 58. Said guiding planes 3 may be rotated so as to stand at any desired angle, and as it is desirable that both be maintained at the same angle at all times, I have provided controlling means comprising, as shown, two rearwardly projecting side shafts 58 which are rotatively mounted in bearings 59 and 60 and carry at each end bevel gears 61, the forward ones of which engage with similar bevel gears 62 mounted, one on each of said shafts 56. The rear bevel gears 61 are adapted to engage similar bevel gears 63 carried, one at each end of a roar shaft Get revolubly mounted in bearings 65 and provided with a hand-wheel 66 by means of which the guiding planos'are controlled and operated at will. Various other means may be used to control the guiding planes if desired, and they could be independently operated instead of simultaneously if so pre ferred.

Having described the mechanism employed for propelling and guiding my submarine salvago vessel, it is evident that the vessel which normally floats just below the surface of the water, may be propelled downward in the water to any desired depth by means of the lower propellers 6 and ma y be moved in a horizontal direction by means of the stern propeller 5 in conjunction with the guiding planes 3 and rudder 4:.

To attach the salvage vessel to the sides of the sunken vessel, 1 have provided electromagnets of novel construction and mounting as shown at 68 and 69. In order to adapt the faces of the magnets to the curved surfaces of the sunken vessel, I have provided a swivel mounting as shown in detail in. Fig. 7 in which I have designated the magnet head as (59 although 68 is of similar construction. hulagnet carriages '70 are threadedly mounted upon magnet operating screws 71 and 72 as shown in i 1, 2 and 7, said screws being provided in pairs, with oppositely inclined threads and mounted ro tatively in bearings 73 and 74 respectively. The magnet heads 68 (and 69) are flanged at 7 6 and are each carried within a shell 77 which is flanged at 78. Bolts 7 9 are screwed into the flange 76 after passing freely through the flange 78, thereby providing means for limiting the outward movement of the magnet head 68 (or 69) within its shell 77. Springs 80, as shown, surround each bolt 79 and provide means for yieldingly holding the magnet heads 68 (and 69) to their outward limit within the shells 7?. The back of each shell 77 is formed with a semi-spherical depression as at 81, adapted to engage a similar depression 82 provided in each carriage 70, and is held in. place by means of a large-headed bolt 83. A neck 84 within the depression 82 is adapted to engage the edge of the hole 85 provided in the shell 77 thus limiting the side movement of the magnet head. A pin 86 is carriedby the carriage and engages a slot 87 in the" shell depression 81, thereby preventing rotary movement of the magnet head.

It is now obvious that each magnet 68 and 69 is so mounted upon its carriage? 0 as to permit it to swing upon its ball and socket bearing in any direction, thus accommodating the several magnets to the varying curvature of the hull to which the salvage vessel is intended to be magnetically attached. The'yieldingly held magnet heads automatically adapt themselves to inequalities in the surface of the said hull, such as indentations. or slight proj ections. This is absolutely necessary in order that the magnets may be held in close magnetic contact with the steel hullplates.

-The functions of the screws 71 and 72 are two-fold; they provide the best form of slide and also serve to propel the magnets across the face of the salvage vessel as desired. The screws just described, are operated by means of a motor 13 which through the medium of pinion 90 and gear 91 drives a horizontal shaft 92 revolubly mounted in bearings 93 and 94 and carrying at each end a bevel gear 95 which meshes with similar bevel gears 96 mounted one on each of two shafts'97. Said shafts 97 pass through bearings and stuffing-boxes (not shown) out through the shell 1 .of the vessel and carry at their outer ends, worms 98 which engage worm-wheels 99, mounted'on and keyed to screws 71. The gear 91 is not keyed to the shaft 92 but is mounted upon a sleeve 100 which revolves freely upon said shaft 92.

Connections between sleeve 100 and shaft 92 is secured by means of a friction clutch comprising, as shown, a female member 101 which is keyed to the sleeve 100, and a male member 102 which is feather-keyed on shaft 92 and is provided with a shifting lever 103 of common construction.

Screws 72 are similarly operated by means of a vertical shaft 105, revolubly carried in bearings 106 and 107 and carrying at each end a bevel gear 108 which meshes with a corresponding bevel-gear 109 one of which is carried on each-of two shafts 110 which pass through bearings and stuffing-boxes,to the outside of the salvage vessel, where they are each provided with a worm 111. Said worms 111 engage worm wheels 112 carried upon and keyed to screws 72. Referring to Fig. 4 it'will be seen that shaft 105 is provided with a sleeve 113 which carries the female member .114, of a clutch similar to the one hereinbefore described. Sleeve'113 is adapted to rotate freely upon shaft 105 and is operatively connected with sleeve 100 by means of helical gears 116 and 117. .A

male clutch-member is feather-keyed upon shaft 105 and adapted to be thrown in engagement with the female member 114 by means of a shifting lever 119, of common construction. In operation the motor 13 constantly drives the sleeves 100 and 113 and power may be imparted to either or both pairs of screws 71 and 72 by operation of screws 72 will cause the vessel to travel hori- V zontally in either direction as desired. Thus by alternately magnetizing and demagnetizing magnets 68 and 69 and properly operating screws 7 2, the salvage vessel may be made to travel to right or left any distance necessary. Vertical movement may be likewise secured by rotating screws 71 instead of screws 7 2.

As it is one of the functions of the salvage vessel to drill holes in the sides of the wrecked hull for the purpose of attaching the pontoon'hooks, Ihave devised drilling mechanism which is fully illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein is shown a vertical cross section through the longitudinal center of the drill. indicates a drill carried by a drillspindle 126 which operates within a bearing 127 provided with a stufiing-box 127. The rear end of the spindle 126 is supported within a bearing in the bracket 128 and carries a worm gear 129 which is slidably mounted and feather-keyed upon the spindle as shown. A plate 130 is attached to the bearing bracket to hold the worm-wheel in place. To rotate the drill-spindle, a motor is provided as at 12 which in the present instance is shown with an extension shaft 132 carried by an outboard bearing 133 which also provides a bearing for a vertical shaft 134. Theshafts 133 and 134 are connected by means of miter gears 135 and 136 and the upper end of the shaft 134 carrie a worm 137 which meshes with worm gear 129. It

is evident from the foregoing that the motor 12 drives the drillspindle through the medium of gears 135 and 136, shafts 132 and 134, worm 137 and worm-gear 129. To feed the drill into the work a feed-screw 138 is provided, being mounted in hearings in bracket 128 and provided with a hand-wheel as at 139. A feed-screw block 140 is threaded to'receive the screw 138 and is so mounted as to surround the spindle 126 which is provided'with set-collars 141 to limit thelongitudinal movement of the spindle within the screw-block. Manipulation of the handwheel 139 will drive the drill forward into the work or cause it to recede as desired. To insert the pontoon hooks in the holes made by the drill just described, a magnetic arm is provided as at in Fig. 1, further illustrated in F 12 and 13. The magnet arm is provided with. a magnetic head 14-6 adapted to engage and magnetically maintain a pontoon hook, being connected with the switch board for the purpose of control, whereby the magnetic head may be magnetized or demagnetized as desired. The magnetic arm 145 is slidably mounted within the head 1%8 of the shaft 119 which is threaded at its inner end as at 150. A gear-rack 151 is mounted upon the arm 145 and meshes with a pinion 152 carried by a shaft 153 which passes through the center of the shaft 149 and is provided with a hand-wheel 15%. A stufling-box is provided at the inner end of shaft 1&9. Said shaft 149 is rotatably and slidably mounted in bearing 156 and 157 and is provided with a stuffing-box at 158.

To slidably manipulate the magnet shaft 149, a. hand-wheel 160 is mounted upon a flanged sleeve 101 which is threaded to fit the threaded portion of shaft 149. A recessed bearing-ring 162 is bolted against the end of bearing bracket 154 so that the flange of sleeve 161 may rotate within. the said recess, being held against end movement by means of the bearing bracket 157 and the ring 162.

From the foregoing description it is evident that by rotating the handwheel 160, the magnet shaft 149 may be forced to slide either in or out as desired. Likewise by operating the handwheel 154: the magnet arm may be made to slide back and forth within the head 1518. In order to turn the shaft 149, a worm-wheel R1641- is ifeather-keyed thereon as shown, being held within a. recess 165 within the bearing bracket 157 by means of a plate 166. A. worm 167 is mounted within the bearing-bracket 157 so as to engage the worm-wheel 16 1 and is provided with a hand-wheel 168 by means of which the worm and worm-wheel and shaft 149 may be rotated as desired.

F or the purpose of observation the salvage vessel is provided with a glass-covered observation opening 170, shown in cross-section in Fig. 9. As a view through this opening would be very limited, I have provided a view-reflector 171 adapted to be set at various angles so as to reflect the View from any desired direction, through the observation opening 170. The reflector comprises a. mirror mounted within a frame 172 which is hingedly attached to a circular reflector-holding ring 17 3" carried by a gear ring 173 revolubly held against the frame 174: of the observation opening, by means of through the wall of the vessel to the ina retaining ring 175. The ring 173 is provided upon its periphery with gear teeth adapted to engage a pinion 176 carried upon a hollow shaft 177 which extends revolubly 70 terior, where it is provided with a stuffingbox 178. A hand-wheel 179 is mounted upon the shaft 177 for the purpose of rotating the pinion 176 by means of which the reflectorholding gear-ring 173 may be rotated so as to place the reflector in the desired position. A pinion shaft 180 carrying a pinion 181 upon its outer end, and a hand-wheel 182 upon its inner end, is revolubly mounted within the hollow shaft 177. A spring actuated plunger pin 183 is carried within a tubular arm 184: of the handwheel 182 so that it may engage holes 185 provided in hand-wheel 179 for the purpose of locking together the two hand-wlheels just mentioned so that they may be rotated simultaneously. A. gear-ring 186 is rotatively mounted in an annular recess between rings 173 and 173 and is provided with gear teeth upon its periphery and upon its outer face as at 187 and 188 respectively. The peripheral teeth 187 engage the pinion 181 and the teeth 188 engage a gear 190 which is mounted upon a worm shaft 191 revolubly carried in hearings on the ring 173 in such position as to dispose the worm at right angles with, and back of, a hinge-shaft 192 which carries the reflector 171. The hingeshaft 192 carries a worm-wheel 198 which meshes with and may be rotated by the 100 worm 191. By rotating the hand-wheel 182 independently of the hand-wheel 179, the reflector 171 may be rotated upon its hinge shaft 192, to any desired angle.

A search-light is provided at 16 and is 105 connected with the electric current wires as shown in Fig. 11. The search-light is pivotally mounted in a frame 195 carried upon a rotatable, hollow shaft 196 which is provided with an inner bearing 197 and passes l through a stufiingbex 198. The inner end of the shaft 196 carries a worm wheel 199 which engages a worm 200. mounted in bearings 201 and provided with a hand-wheel 202 by means of which the shaft 196 and 115 the frame 195 may be rotated as desired.

To rotate the globular search light upon its pivotal bearings it is provided with a segmental bevel gear 2011 which meshes with a bevel pinion 20*5 carried upon a shaft 206 120 revolubly mounted within and passing through the tubular shaft 196. A stuffingboX is provided at 207 and a hand-wheel 208 is mounted upon shaft 206 for the purpose of rotating the search-light within its 5 frame 195.

It is understood that slight changes may be made in the specific structure shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a submarine vessel, the combination of a plurality of pairs of screws rotatably mounted on the exterior of the vessel, a carriage on each pair of screws, a casing attached to each carriage by a swivel j oint, a magnet slidably mounted in the casing, guide rods for said magnet, springs for moving said magnet outwardly from the casing and stops on the ends of said rods for limiting the outward movement of said magnet.

2. In a submarine vessel, the combination of a shaft extending through and rotatably mounted in the wall of the shell, an enlarged head at the outer end of said shaft and provided with a guideway, a member slidably mounted in said guideway, a magnetic head at one end of said member, a rack bar on said member, a pinion within said head engaging said rack bar, a second shaft within said first named shaft and to the outer end of which said pinion is attached, means within said shell for slidably moving said first named shaft through the wall of the shell, means within said shell for rotating said first named shaft and means within said shell for rotating said second named shaft independently of said first named shaft.

8. In a submarine vessel provided with a window in the wall of the vessel, the combination of a rotatable ring surrounding the window, a reflector pivotally mounted upon the ring in position to reflect the view through said window from any desired angle, and means for manipulating the reflector from within the vessel.

4. In a submarine vessel provided with a window in the wall of the vessel, the combination of a rotary member associated with the window, a mirror pivotally mounted on said rotary member, means operable from the inside of the vessel for rotating the member, and means operable from the in side of the vessel for swinging the mirror about its pivot.

5. In a submarine vessel provided with a circular window in the wall of the vessel, the combination of a rotary annular member surrounding the window, means passing through the wall of the vessel for rotating said member, a second annular member mounted on said first named annular member, a mirror pivotally mounted on said second annular member, a third annular mem ber rotatably mounted on said first annular member, means passing through the wall of the vessel for rotating said third annular member independently of said first annular member and means associated with the pivotal mounting of said mirror and operatively connected to said third annular member whereby rotation of said third annular member causes rotation of said mirror on its pivotal mounting.

6. In a submarine vessel, the combination of a hollow shaft passing through the wall of the vessel and provided at its outer end with a frame, a search light rotatably mounted in said frame, means within the vessel for rotating said hollow shaft, a second shaft passing through said hollow shaft, a gear on the outer end of said second shaft, a gear associated with said search light and cooperating with the gear on the second shaft, and means within the vessel for rotating said second shaft to rotate said search light on the frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT J. MATTER.

Witnesses:

Jnssin B. MATTER, J. H. Soo'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

